The Arkansaw traveler., 1887-08-06
RERcHER AS A STUDENT.
ExchanrN

WHS 'rluil IlkAus AOE HC IVUO HauSast and "ready man." tor he often con- ferred with other men. If the great preacher desired information on any subject he went, not to a book, but to the man who knew it thoroughly. In Abbott's Life of Beecher" there is an anecdote illustrative of his habit of consulting some eminent specialist. When he was about to deliver his famous course of lectures to young men in Indianapolis, then a gambling center, he invited the leading gambler of the city to call at his study. The man accepted the invitation, and the preacher and his strange guest spent a morning together.
 The sermon on gambling made such an impression, owing to its local col bring, that at an evening party a young man said to the preacher, "Mr. Beecher, how could you describe s gambling saloon so accurately if you had never been there?"
 "How do you know it is accurate, If you have never been thereS" promptly retorted the preacher.
 MT. Beecher found sermons in men, because, like his Master, he was their friend, and sought out their thoughts that he might do them good. He went into the shops and stores that he might converse with mechanics and clerks. He walked the streets with his eyes open, that he might sec the sights of a busy city l; and in the ferry boat he kept his ears alert to catch the conversation of draymen and hucksters.
 A sharp shooter studies his target, the direction of the wind, the pecu- liarities of his rifle. He makes allow ance for all these before he touches the trigger He may miss his mark, but he aims at it and does his best to put the ball into the bulPs-eye.
 AS Mir. Beecher made men his target, he acquainted himself with their peculiarities, and took into ac- count their prejudices and methods of thinking. One of his brethren, refer ring in the prayer meeting to ser mon, likened it to an arrow shot at n venture.
 "I never shoot at venture," re- torted Mir. Beecher. "I always aim, though I often miss my mark and bring down unexpected game"
 Mir. Beecher never made a speech or preached sermon unless he had something to say. He usually had something to say, and something worth listening to, even when he spoke with but few minutes to pre- pare himself. He was student, though he studied in his own way, which was wholly unlike that of or dinary preachers.
 Writers on homiletics advise young preachers to spend but little time in general study, and much in special preparation of sermons. Mir. Beccher reversed this rule. Most of his time was spent in general study; his Sun day morning sermon was prepared on Sunday morning, and his Sunday evening sermon in the afternoon.
 One Sunday evening he preached a sermon on a text from the eighth chapter of Romans. The congregation was electrified, and MT. Halliday, the preachers assistant, not knowing whether he was in the body or out of it, sought Professor Stowe, who was standing in his brother in- laws pew.
 "The first half of that sermon" said the professor, sis the most wonderful thing l ever listened to; but the thing that is most wonderful to me is how he prepared it. After dinner this noon l was walking in the library, and when he came up, said, Henry, I would like to have you preach from those words some time,' to which he immediately answered, I may as well preach from them tonight as any time.' He went to his afternoon sleep, came down toward six o'clock, took a cup of tea, went into his study and made the preparation from winch he preached this sermon"
 Mir. Beecher undoubtedly possessed remarkable readiness in preparing for the pulpit or the platform, but he was also an adept in accommodating ma terial, of which he could avail him. self at moments notice.
 In answering question put to him by the present writer as to his method of preparing for the pulpit, he sai
 ''I read book for information and: inspiration. If, while reading, q thought comes to me which is worth expanding, write down the title of the book, the passage which suggested the thought, the hour of the day or the night, the local surroundings, in fact, everything which will enable me to reproduce my exact mood.
 "Then l write until I have nothing more to say on that topic. fold my manuscript, write the name of the topic on it's back and lay 1t away.
 "On Sunday morning I begin my sermon. know what my congrega- tion is thinking about, and ny sub-